Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an exercise machine and more specifically it relates to an exercise machine reversible resistance system for reversing the directional force of resistance against an exercise implement before, during, or after the performance of a routine of one or more exercises.
Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the related art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such related art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Exercise is human physical activity that enhances or maintains overall physical health of an exerciser. Exercise is performed to increase muscle strength, improve balance, improve cardiovascular efficiency, and to aid in weight loss.
Cardiovascular exercises are intended to improve circulatory and respiratory performance and health by raising the heart rate for an extended period of time, increasing oxygenation and calorie burn. Within the fitness industry, cardiovascular exercise as often referred to as “cardio”. Typical cardio exercise equipment found in gyms includes treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, and stair climbers. Cardio exercises performed without the aid of specialized apparatuses include running and swimming.
Strength exercises are intended to increase the ability for muscles to perform more work. The exercises are practiced consistently over weeks or months. Strength exercises are typically performed in short but high intensity muscle bursts, rather than the long duration of cardio exercises. Strength training is intended to break down the muscles targeted by the exercise. The subsequent repair of muscle tissue after training is achieved by increased localized blood circulation that delivers nutrients and oxygen, both of which promote repair and growth of the muscle beyond its size and strength prior to exercise.
Strength exercise machines are apparatuses or devices providing for fixed or adjustable amounts of resistance, and which are used during physical activity to enhance the strength or conditioning effects of the performed exercises.
Myriad apparatuses have been made available by many manufacturers, each apparatus intended to work one targeted muscle or group of muscles. For instance, a bicep curl machine is intended to exercise only the bicep muscles, while a chest press machine is intended to primarily exercise the chest muscles, but to a lesser degree, shoulder and triceps muscles.
Strength exercise apparatuses may incorporate as the resistance source free weights, for example, barbells, dumbbells or stacked weights, resistance springs or bands, or position the exerciser so as to use the exerciser's own body weight as the weight resistance source.
Contemporary methods of exercising against a workload are many, and well known to those skilled in the art. One method of creating a direct vertical workload is an exerciser's application of force to lift a dead weight from a resting position to a higher vertical position. Another method of creating a horizontal workload is to redirect a vertical workload along a horizontal vector using a pulley or mechanical linkage. Yet another method of creating a workload in any direction is to apply a force opposite the force axis of a variable resistance means, such as a spring or elastic resistance band.
Still another method of creating a workload is to require a continuous cycle of lifting one's own body weight. For instance, a person exercising on a motorized treadmill is required to increase or decrease the elevation through which they lift their body with each step, and/or to increase or decrease the speed or length of stride in order to maintain their relatively stationary position upon the moving treadmill belt. Increasing the pitch of the treadmill belt further causes the exerciser to increase their work by lifting their body weight higher with each step in order to maintain their position on a treadmill.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that most all exercise apparatuses provide for continuous or cyclical exercising in one primary direction. For instance, an bicep curl machine is operated by an exerciser repeatedly flexing their bicep to raise their lower arm against a prescribed weight, then by slowly releasing the bicep muscle flex, allows the re-extension of their lower arm to return the weight to the starting point, then repeat the cycle for a prescribed number of times.
On the other hand, a triceps apparatus works opposite to a bicep curl apparatus in that the primary work is performed by flexing the triceps to extend the forearm to substantially align with the upper arm while working against a weight or resistance. By slowly relaxing the triceps, the weight is returned to its starting point as the lower arm assumes a decreasing angle relative to the upper arm.
As can readily be understood in the foregoing descriptions, exercise machines are intended to deliver a workload in one direction only. The primary work cycle on a bicep machine is achieved when the hand working against the resistance approaches the shoulder, while the primary work cycle on a triceps machine is achieved when the hand working against the resistance moves away from the shoulder. Therefore, a bicep machine does not appreciably exercise triceps, and a triceps machine does not appreciably exercise the biceps.
Another form of exercise produces a mixed benefit of combining cardio and strength training Known to those skilled in the art, circuit training is a form of exercise that requires the exerciser to continuously work against resistance for a prolonged period, as previously described in cardio exercises, yet also incorporates a routine of large number of exercises that are performed in a rapid sequence, without any appreciable rest between each exercise.
One variation of circuit training is sometimes referred to as interval training wherein the exerciser generally performs the same exercise for a period of specific duration, similar to cardio exercising, but varies the resistance level throughout the routine period to substantially increase the exerciser's workload for short duration, high intensity bursts, then decrease the workload during a moderate recovery period whereby the cardio exercise intensity is maintained until a subsequent burst. The exerciser repeats this high/low intensity cycle until the end of the training period.
A disadvantage of attempting to perform circuit or interval training on a variety of exercise apparatuses by immediately and without an appreciable rest period, moving from one apparatus for one exercise, to another apparatus for a subsequent exercise is that in a typical gym environment, there will be another exerciser already working out on the next apparatus in the sequence, forcing the circuit exerciser to wait until the apparatus is available. This breaks the intended benefits of the continuous cycle of circuit training.
Another disadvantage of performing circuit training using multiple apparatuses in sequence within a gym environment is that even if the next apparatus is vacant, the proper weight, resistance level, or direction of resistance must be re-set for each exerciser. In many instances, this is time consuming, confusing, and the proper weight setting cannot be readily determined. Again, the break in the circuit sequence reduces the intended advantages of the circuit training session.
A disadvantage of attempting to perform a variation of circuit training upon a single exercise apparatus is that an exerciser must stop the exercise routine, most often by having to dismount the apparatus in order to change the existing resistance settings to new settings or to reverse the direction of resistance. The exerciser then re-mounts the apparatus and re-establishes proper positioning before continuing a new exercise at the new resistance setting. However, after a short period of performing a first exercise, often merely a minute or two, the exerciser would have to again dismount and change the resistance settings or the direction of resistance for a second exercise—then repeat the entire process with many additional exercises included in the particular routine. It often takes more time to change the resistance settings than the period of time the exerciser will actually perform the new exercise at the new setting.
Still another disadvantage of all of the exercise machines and Pilates apparatuses just described is that the resistance is unidirectional. In other words, none of the machines provide for an exerciser to immediately change the direction of the resistance force.
As an example, the rotating belt of a motorized treadmill is intended to move such that an exerciser, facing the front of the machine, can walk or run at different speeds, on a flat, or “uphill”. Reversing the rotation of the rotating belt would require the exerciser to begin walking or running backwards, and possibly “downhill”. Not only would this be an unnatural exercise, reversing a treadmill belt during exercise would be dangerous, and would likely be the source of many injuries.
As another example, a pull down machine to exercise the latissimus dorsi muscles provides a seat upon which an exerciser sits, and an overhead bar attached to a cable. The cable is threaded through a pulley on the machine, and is attached to weights. When an exerciser pulls down the overhead bar to work the latissimus dorsi or back muscles, the downward direction of their pull is reversed through the pulley, and they are actually pulling the weights that are attached to the cable upward from the floor. On the other hand, there is no provision to allow the exerciser to switch resistance direction so they can push upward on the bar and lift the weights to exercise the shoulders as would be provided by a shoulder press machine. Pushing upward provides no work resistance.
Yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is an improved exercise apparatus with a force reversing system providing for a plurality of exercise resistance springs affixed to an apparatus structure, a means providing for an exerciser to input an exercising force in one moveable direction sufficient to overcome one or more of the resistance springs, and a system providing for an exerciser to immediately reverse the direction of motion against which a counteracting resistance force will be applied. For instance, an exerciser's upward force movement as required to work against the spring resistance can be reversed to a downward force required to work against the spring resistance.
Another object of the present invention is an improved Pilates apparatus comprising a substantially longitudinal frame, an idler pulley affixed at substantially one end of the apparatus, a driven pulley on a drive shaft affixed at substantially the opposed end of the apparatus, a drive belt affixed to at least the idler and driven pulleys, and therebetween, an exercise carriage slidable along the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, the carriage being optionally engageable along the length of either side of the drive belt, thereby allowing an exerciser to select which direction the slidable carriage and correspondingly, the rotational direction of the driven pulley will move responsive to an exercise force input exerted upon the slidable platform. The reverser as currently illustrated is ‘self energizing’. This means that the more force an exerciser applies to the platform, pull the harder it tries to engage. A beneficial side effect is that if the exerciser pushes the rollable platform in the wrong direction, it disengages, thus preventing the platform back driving the spring mechanism.
Those skilled in the art will immediately recognize the deficiencies just described, and will understand that a sufficiently large number of machines to allow exercising of each major muscle group housing many machines requires leasing a large and expansive area for a functional gym or Pilates studio. They will appreciate that one machine capable of providing resistance for a wide variety of exercises allows for more economically efficient operations.
Further, fitness experts and gym operations will appreciate the commercial advantages of a new and improved exercise apparatus that provides for immediate and precise changing of the resistance level without considerable interruption to a workout routine, and a system of immediately reversing the direction of resistance to increase the number of muscles and muscle groups that may be exercised without dismounting the apparatus, thereby obviating the need to make complicated changeovers to the apparatus, or to move to another machine to perform a different exercise.
Because of the inherent problems with the related art, there is a need for a new and improved exercise machine reversible resistance system for reversing the directional force of resistance against an exercise implement before, during, or after the performance of a routine of one or more exercises.